The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Newly obtained photographs show the aftermath of brutality police used against my wife, Carol, during an eviction that was unlawful on 10 grounds or more

Carol's arm begins to show bruising and major swelling, at the elbow.

Fourteen months after my wife was charged with "assault on a law enforcement officer" in Greene County, Missouri, the case still has not been resolved -- even though the officer Carol allegedly pushed admits in a written statement that he initiated physical contact with her, not the other way around. Under Missouri law, that means Carol is not guilty, and there never was probable cause to arrest her in the first place.

So, who really was the assault victim here? We recently obtained photographs that Officer Scott Harrison took at the Cox North emergency room after Carol had been taken to jail following our unlawful eviction on Sept. 9, 2015. Yes, Carol was arrested and taken to jail, even though an officer (still unknown because of prosecutorial stonewalling on discovery) had grabbed her from behind, viciously body slammed her butt-first to the ground, and violently yanked on both arms in an upward and backward motion that broke her left arm in more than two places (comminuted fracture, requiring trauma surgery), leaving her right arm bruised black and blue for its full length.

The pictures were taken after Carol complained of pain in her arm, and a jail nurse ordered that she be taken to Cox North, just a block or two north of the jail. What does it look like in the moments after your arm nearly has been torn off at the elbow? These pictures answer that question -- and they show Carol was the victim of an assault, not the perpetrator of one.

Above, is a photo showing a large lump that is forming at the injury site. Based on our conversations later with the surgeon, I'm guessing it's formed by a combination of swelling, pooling blood, and broken bone pressing against skin.

Severe bruising is starting to show, roughly 90 minutes after injury.

This photo shows severe bruising starting to set in. The time stamp shows the photo was taken at 16:09 (4:09 p.m.), a little less than 90 minutes after injury. By the time Carol was transferred to Cox South, where her arm was placed in a temporary cast to set it for surgery, the arm probably was black and blue from top to bottom. When I saw her the next morning, her right arm was completely black and blue -- and it wasn't broken. "Before they put the temporary cast on, I didn't want to look at my left arm," Carol says. "So I don't remember how bad the bruising was."

What has become of law enforcement in the United States? These photos show the victim of grotesque police brutality, and yet prosecutors charged HER with assault -- even though the officer in question (Capt. Jeremy Lynn) admits in writing that Carol "TRIED to push BACK" after he burst into our home and grabbed her -- nothing more.

What do those words in capital letters tell us? The first one says Carol TRIED to push, but she did not actually manage to do it. That's not a crime, even when it involves precious and apparently soft, baby-like cops. The second says Carol attempted to "push BACK," meaning Lynn had grabbed and pushed her first.

Under Missouri law, the question under the relevant statute is did the defendant "cause physical contact"? Missouri case law has interpreted that to mean did the defendant "initiate physical contact"? The answer to both questions is no; Jeremy Lynn's own words show that.

We've received other evidence that shines light on issues related to Carol's case. We will look at that in an upcoming post.